Background to the further education sector
The Department for Employment and Learning is responsible for the policy, strategic development and financing of the statutory Further Education Sector. It also provides support to a small number of non-statutory further education providers.
The Department is also responsible for curriculum and qualifications below degree level, with a key focus on the development of adult literacy.
Statutory Further Education Sector
Strategic Objectives
- to support regional economic development and, in particular, to provide the skills necessary for the knowledge-based economy;
- to increase participation and widen access to those previously under-represented in the sector; and
- to improve the quality of provision and enhance standards of performance.
The Department of Education and Training Inspectorate 
provides for inspections of FE colleges in relation to the quality of teaching and learning.
Structure
On 1 April 1998, the Further Education Colleges became free-standing incorporated bodies. Management responsibility now lies with each individual college’s governing body. The Association of Northern Ireland Colleges (ANIC) acts as the representative body for the Further Education Colleges in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland's 16 Further Education (FE) colleges merged into six larger area-based colleges on 1st August 2007.
The new college groupings are:
Belfast Metropolitan College incorporating: Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education and Castlereagh College of Further and Higher Education.
North West Regional College incorporating: North West Institute of Further and Higher Education and Limavady College of Further and Higher Education.
Northern Regional College incorporating: Causeway Institute of Further and Higher Education, North East Institute of Further and Higher Education and East Antrim Institute of Further and Higher Education.
Southern Regional College incorporating: Armagh College of Further and Higher Education, Newry and Kilkeel Institute of Further and Higher Education and Upper Bann Institute of Further and Higher Education.
South West College incorporating: East Tyrone College of Further and Higher Education, Fermanagh College of Further and Higher Education and Omagh College of Further Education.
South Eastern Regional College: East Down Institute of Further and Higher Education, Lisburn College of Further and Higher Education and North Down and Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education.”
The range of courses provided by colleges span essential skills, a wide range of vocational and academic programmes at levels 2 and 3 and Higher Education programmes.
Non-Statutory Further Education Sector
FE Policy & Strategic Development Branch provides support to two larger voluntary organisations: the Workers’ Educational Association and the Ulster Peoples’ College, from which the Department purchases a range of specific education and training provision. Provision purchased by the Department under these current arrangements is in line with the Department's strategic aims, and is of a vocational nature, linked primarily to the attainment and retention of employment.
The Department’s strategy document "FE Means Business” underlines the importance of collaboration and partnership between the statutory FE sector and voluntary and community organisations. In taking forward the strategy, the Department envisages voluntary bodies, in collaboration with FE Colleges, playing a valuable role in bringing FE provision to a wider cross-section of the community.
Qualification and National Occupational Standards
The Department collaborates with the other administrations and their respective Regulatory Authorities throughout the UK to support the development of National Occupational Standards as the basis for high quality vocational qualifications and to ensure the establishment of a coherent and well-regulated framework of national qualifications. The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) is the main regulatory authority for qualifications in Northern Ireland, however the regulation of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) falls within the remit of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).
New Sector and Subject Categories
The three bodies for the regulation of qualifications, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and the ACCAC, the Welsh Authority along with other key educational bodies and organisations have produced a new system for classifying qualifications according to industry sector and academic subject area. Select QCA link to access the new classifications and further information.